Tate faces huge loss over nude Brooke Shields picture

Tate Modern bosses face losing tens of thousands of pounds after the gallery was forced to remove a nude photograph of Brooke Shields at the age of 10.

Following complaints and a visit by the Met's Obscene Publications Unit, the gallery last month had to replace the naked shot of the actress as a child.

Controversial image: Tate removed a naked photo of Shields at the age of 10

The photo, called Spiritual America, was part of the Pop Life exhibition and was replaced with a photograph of the actress in a bikini, taken when she was aged 40.

But the museum's publishing arm has been left with 12,000 catalogues containing the original image and it is feared there could be another backlash if they go on sale.

Although some of the catalogues have gone on sale with a sticker placed over the nude image of Shields, they still have 10,000 paperbacks at £24.99 each, and 2,000 hardbacks, priced at £35, meaning a total of £320,000 could be lost.

Meanwhile, it was announced today that the Tate will join forces with Aardman, the animators behind Wallace And Gromit, to create its first movie — a £3m animation to be made in time for the 2012 Olympic Games.

The film will be made by children across the UK.The Tate and Aardman will run production workshops around the country, in the hope that artworks from the Tate ­collection will inspire children to ­contribute their ideas for the film.